The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-05-16
THE TWO yfRafSfAs

ton Of new woods at interior centres. R7STl
+. TIE Two vtRaistAss
Tho Diyiaion OF tho State ntelligcntiy EI. |
piaincd BY d Far Western Paper.
Portland Ortoonian, 81 y, y
Recent tliscusslon Of the status Of the |
debt q Virginia, called out BY the report !
that the British Government, in behalf 81 |
BHsiah aabiec.s who own a large part a,i-t 81 |
the repudiated bonds, would AJAX our Gov.
eminent to make the loss good, recalls the |
fact that during tho frat session 81 the last
Congress q bill was introduced int, that
body to- authorlzsa the President TO a..
point comnniasion To investigate the legal
and equitable liability Of the Government
OF tho United States on account OF SWthe
debt due by the State OF Virginia because
Of the partition Of that State giiho,I ID con.
stnt, during the late war. The bill did not
pass but 1t 10 probable that the introtIuc.
ton Of 1t gave the 2 English bondbolders
the hint which has led them to the reso.
luton 70 present their claim to our Ma.
tional Government. 81 ls II n,
Ever eince the admission Of the State Of
West Virginia into the D MON the claim
has BEEN set up that the Congress- and Inc
President Of the United States exceeded
their constitutional powers Tin dividing
Virginia into two parts, thereby $makinp
two States where only one had a legal eI.
istence. The claim has been. and vat il.
made that tho Confederate State Sof Wiz.
ginia, then at war with the United States,
and claiming to be out Of the U Mon, did
not consent to the division. n The consti.
tuition provides for the division Of q State
with the consent Of the Legislature Of such
State and Of Congresa, 8 In no, other way
can d new State be carved cut Of the tarri.
tory of an sexlsling State. III follose,
therefore, that II the lawful Legislature OF
Virginia did not consent to the formation
Of West Virginia no such State as the lat.
tor exists, or has ever had legal existence,
Almost a generation has passed away
since the events which led to the division
Of Virginia trsnspired. Hence tho facts
in that connection are measurably mn.
known,to largo proportion of the yotsra
Of the country. Shortly after the eecess-
ion OF Virginia, in 1861, a convention OF
delegatea chosen by the Union men OF
more than one-hali Of the counties Of the
State met in Wheeling. Assuming to
representthe sovereignty OF the State. that
convention resolved, in effect, that John
Letcher, late Governor, and other State
officers, had "dbdicdted government, and
left the State and Its people exposed to
lawlessness and violence. Therennon
the convention chose Francis b. Pierpont
Governor, to serve until such time as a
Governor could be elected, Pier.
pont took the oath OF Office and imme.
diately summoned q! Legislature to meet
in Wheeling. A quorum ofboth houses re.
sponded to the hummons--several of the
members having been elected in the place
Of secesaionists who adhered to the Let.
cher government. The seceesionists in
several OF the Union counties also elected
members to the Richmond Legislature ia
fill the places Of those who responded In
Pierpont's proclamation. Thus two dis.
tinct State governments were established
on the soil OF Virginia, known at the time
as the wheeling government" and the
Richmond government" The Wheeling
government adhered 10 the United States
and was recognized by The President and
Congress SO the legitimate government Of
Virginia. The Richmond government ad-
hered to the Coniederacy, which claimed
Virginia as one OF the Confederate States.
In 1868 the Wheeling Legislature nass-
ed an act giving the consent Of the Ststs
Of Virginia 10 the formation OF a new
State out Of Virginia territory, to be
known as West Virginia; and subsequent.
ly Congress passed an set admitting the
new State into the Union. The letter Of
the Constitution was strictly observed by
Congress aud the Legislature Of Virginia-
that is the Legislature Of Virginia which
was recognized by the President and Con.
sreea. That Legislature elected Senators
in Congress who we're admitted to seats.
1t also raised revenues and enlisted, Or
ssnized, armed md equipped soldiers for
State and United States service, and pass.
ed many excellent statutes, como OF which
are yet enforced by the Courts OF the
State OF Virginia. = :,
After the organization OF the govern
ment OF West Virginia Governor Pierpont
(who had been elected by tho pcop!c for
the full term) removed to Alexandria, and
sfterward to Richmond. The present
state government Of Virginia is the suc.
cessor Of the Wheeling government. How,
then, can it be maintained that Virginia
was divided, or new State carved out OF
her territory without her consent? Men
who take that position must hold that the
Richmond government" which for four
years waged war against the United states
was all that time the legitimate and law.
full government Of Virginia.
The ex.Coniederates who hold that Viz
GINA was divided without her consent,
and in contravention TO the constitution
Of the United ststes, are III they can in.
duce Congress to adopt their views) dig
ging q pit into which they are liable 10
fall, for, il they be right, no such State az
West Virginia exiats, ito government must
be blotted out, it's TWO Democratic sena-
tors must be retired, and two votes must
be deducted from that party 3 count in the
electoral college. 49,, aiE
Fashions f'nds in Millinery.
EXCHANGE. 9tE -.F